Chest wont grow no matter what i do!!!

[Madooo]

So i have been lifting for 7 years now. I started at 155lbs and am now at 219lbs at 14%bf. I am 27 years old, 6' 3''. My shoulders, back, arms, legs all look amazing, except for my chest, which wont grow no matter what i do.

I have read various forums and tried their routines, however, i will not give in to the all mighty "its your genetics, which is causing ur small chest" idea.

So, i have tried all the following with no prevail:
- doing doing chest twice a week, at heavy weights (4-6 reps) got up to 285 lbs for 3 reps
-i have tried doing dumbell only routines
-i have done incline first
-pre-exhaustion techniques
-high reps and low reps
-going extremely slow and changing bench angles
-isolation workouts only for chest
-specific routines for chest

I feel my chest sore all week so i can tell it was pounded hard, however, it just doesnt wanna grow even an inch. Every other part of my body, except for calves, grow perfectly. But not my chest.

I talked to one guy and he stated that its do to genetics and the only way for my chest to grow is by going the steroids route and injecting into my chest. I am trying to stay away from that route. I see it this way, if i have gone from 155lbs to 219lbs and 14%bf without the use of prohormones or steroids, i can do anything with them.

Anyway...Any advice?

[Rodja]

I have the same struggles. What is your exact routine right now?

[Madooo]

Right now im doing a DC training, its a 3 day workout using rest pauses:

Monday:
CHEST: Hammer dmbl incline press 11-15rp, then flat dumbbell press 20-30 reps failure deep stretch
SHOULDERS: Reverse incline shoulder press 11-20rp
TRICEPS: reverse grip bench press 11-20rp
BACK WIDTH: chins 11-20rp
BACK THICKNESS: floor dead lifts 6-9reps(Straight Set [SS]) & 9-12reps(Straight Set) (then stretches)

Wednesday
BICEPS: preacher curl 15-20rp
FOREARMS: hammer curls SS for 15 reps (then stretches for biceps)
CALVES: machine toe press, SS for 10-12 reps with a 15 second negative phase
HAMSTRINGS: lying leg curl 15-30rp
QUADS: squat 6-10reps (SS) 20 reps window maker (then stretches for quads and hams)

Friday:
CHEST: Decline bench machine press 11-15rp, then flat dumbbell press 20-30 reps failure deep stretch (then stretches)
SHOULDERS: Smith press 11-15rp (then stretches)
TRICEPS: close grip bench press 11-20rp (then stretches)
BACK WIDTH: Close Grip Cable Pull downs 11-15rp
BACK THICKNESS: rack dead lifts 6-9reps(SS) & 9-12reps(SS) (then stretches)
______________________________ ______________________________ _________
Monday
BICEPS: cable curl 15-20rp
FOREARMS: reverse grip 1 arm cable curl SS for 15 reps (then stretches for biceps)
CALVES: on leg press, SS for 10-12 reps with a 20 second negative
HAMSTRINGS: seated leg curl 15-30rp
QUADS: leg press 6-10reps (SS) 20 reps window maker (then stretches for quads and hams)

Wednesday:
CHEST: incline dmbl press 11-15rp, then flat dumbbell press 20-30 reps failure deep stretch (then stretches)
SHOULDERS: Hammer press 11-15rp (then stretches)
TRICEPS: Dips w/weight 11-20rp (then stretches)
BACK WIDTH: Pull down Machine 11-15rp
BACK THICKNESS: T-bar row 10-12reps(SS) (then stretches)

Friday:
BICEPS: bb curl 15-20rp
FOREARMS: pinwheel curl 15 reps(SS) (then stretches for biceps)
CALVES: seated calves, SS for 10-12 reps with a 15 second negative
HAMSTRINGS: stiff leg dead lift 15-20reps(SS)
QUADS: hack squat 6-10reps (SS) 20 reps window maker (then stretches for quads and hams)

Been on my 4th week of this. Will take a break after 6th week to do something different and then come back to this routine.

[EasyEJL]

- doing doing chest twice a week, at heavy weights (4-6 reps) got up to 285 lbs for 3 reps

I'll say this one doesnt even sound sensible, as strength <> size and that is a strength gaining workout, not a size gaining.

One that I read recently that was interesting and i'm playing with is doing heavy flys (with dumbbells not machine) as your first chest exercise, potentially even pre-exhausting with the pecdec machine. One of the interesting parts was with the preexhaust he separated the 2 halves of the range of motion, so you'd do a partial from all the way back to 1/2way then after adjust the arms so you are going from 1/2way to touching. It was interesting because on the second portion of that you can significantly raise the weight. But with or without that doing flys first was interesting and definitely felt different.

I don't have totally horrible chest development but I struggle with trying to get my pecs to meet up, particularly at the bottom.

[Madooo]

I'll say this one doesnt even sound sensible, as strength <> size and that is a strength gaining workout, not a size gaining.

One that I read recently that was interesting and i'm playing with is doing heavy flys (with dumbbells not machine) as your first chest exercise, potentially even pre-exhausting with the pecdec machine. One of the interesting parts was with the preexhaust he separated the 2 halves of the range of motion, so you'd do a partial from all the way back to 1/2way then after adjust the arms so you are going from 1/2way to touching. It was interesting because on the second portion of that you can significantly raise the weight. But with or without that doing flys first was interesting and definitely felt different.

I don't have totally horrible chest development but I struggle with trying to get my pecs to meet up, particularly at the bottom.

i was doing this because i had read somewhere that the small chest might have been do to me not lifting really heavy, so that is why i was doing heavy ass weights.

On the second note, i tried for about 2 months pre-exhausting my chest with the pec dec, before hitting my chest with any other workout. It felt great , i felt the pump and i was always sore the day after, however, it didnt do much on the size part. Therefore, i moved onto something else.

[EasyEJL]

well one thing i'd wonder is which routines you were running during your bulking phases vs cutting phases. Its hard to get a lot of growth anywhere on a cut or even maintenance, so having your workouts maximize for growth during bulking phases is critical.

[Madooo]

well one thing i'd wonder is which routines you were running during your bulking phases vs cutting phases. Its hard to get a lot of growth anywhere on a cut or even maintenance, so having your workouts maximize for growth during bulking phases is critical.

Usually when i do my bulking phase, i try to do a workout where the rep ranges are between 8-10 reps. I will go slow on the negatives and fast on the positive. I use the main exercises such as bench, deadlifts and squats(usually machine or smith).

On a cut, i try the other routines such as super setting, tri setting, pyramids, drop sets, but with this, i try to use the heavy weights as to not lose my mass. reps are usually 6-8 because since i am doing a super set, im still hitting high reps.

[SilentBob187]

Pre-exhaust triceps on chest day? Just a thought.

[jiberish]

Tried crazy stretching? Or maybe bench negatives. (you can do them on a smith machine and get your partner to push down on the bar) It doesn't work with a BB because you can't balance it.

Just throwing ideas out
Your not one of those guys who only brings the weight down half way. I would assume not.

[HondaV65]

Dude - you are 6'3" and 205 pounds! You're about to blow away.

I think if you eat more your chest will pack some mass.

I also think - that once you get the "jones" to grow a muscle - you tend to let that muscle be the focus of your training and you end up overtraining it. I have found - not to do this. Just back off and let nature happen - sometimes I grow better with less training. I'm not smart enough to figure that out - but smart enough to recognize it when it's happening!

[Madooo]

Tried crazy stretching? Or maybe bench negatives. (you can do them on a smith machine and get your partner to push down on the bar) It doesn't work with a BB because you can't balance it.

Just throwing ideas out
Your not one of those guys who only brings the weight down half way. I would assume not.

I do crazy stretching right now with the DC training, where i get on the flat bench and hold 2 60lb dumbells and stretch my chest for 60 seconds...it is total hell.

I used to do negatives as well, but i didnt get much from that either.

[Madooo]

Dude - you are 6'3" and 205 pounds! You're about to blow away.

I think if you eat more your chest will pack some mass.

I also think - that once you get the "jones" to grow a muscle - you tend to let that muscle be the focus of your training and you end up overtraining it. I have found - not to do this. Just back off and let nature happen - sometimes I grow better with less training. I'm not smart enough to figure that out - but smart enough to recognize it when it's happening!

219lbs to be correct, 14 lbs is a big difference. i actually dont want to get bigger than that because then my head is small compared to the rest of my body and that just looks awkward.

Even though, at 219lbs, my body should be proportionate. Right now i have a big back, big arms, big legs, etc... but no chest. Thats what i need help on. My chest is lagging behind everything else, and that is making me sad.

[Madooo]

I remember one time For about 2 months, i had done one set of BB bench every single day, because a friend told me i needed to shock my muslce. That just made me soar all day every day.

I also tried jiggling my chest after each chest workout, because someone had told me blood wasnt getting into my chest. i still do that once in a while to this day, but it hasnt really helped.

[Madooo]

Pre-exhaust triceps on chest day? Just a thought.

I think imma try this, i havent tried pre-exhausting my triceps...

Thanks

[JohnRock]

If you're not willing to gain weight to do it, expect it to take a year or two to bring your chest up to the size you want. If it really bothers you, I'd bulk 15 lbs. or so, then cut again after you're done. Pre-exhausting the triceps sounds like the opposite of what you want to do. Do a compound move and superset it with a pec only move. Let everything else on your body stay at maintenance weight for the next several months just so you don't lose strength.

[Rodja]

If you're not willing to gain weight to do it, expect it to take a year or two to bring your chest up to the size you want. If it really bothers you, I'd bulk 15 lbs. or so, then cut again after you're done. Pre-exhausting the triceps sounds like the opposite of what you want to do. Do a compound move and superset it with a pec only move. Let everything else on your body stay at maintenance weight for the next several months just so you don't lose strength.

Hell, it'll take much longer than that to get anywhere he wants to go.

[R1balla]

I mainly do all upper chest. if im doing 4 total chest exercises, i will do 3 of upper chest and 1 either BB bench or DB bench. works AWESOME for me

[Madooo]

If you're not willing to gain weight to do it, expect it to take a year or two to bring your chest up to the size you want. If it really bothers you, I'd bulk 15 lbs. or so, then cut again after you're done. Pre-exhausting the triceps sounds like the opposite of what you want to do. Do a compound move and superset it with a pec only move. Let everything else on your body stay at maintenance weight for the next several months just so you don't lose strength.

It doesnt really bother me that much, just because ive been like this for a while with no prevail, and have almost accepted that ill never have a perfectly round chest. However, it would be nice to achieve that and know what is needed to be done to achieve that. With a shirt on, i look fine, but shirtless is where you can tell the incorrect proportions.

I just wanted to get ideas to see if there is something i am doing wrong, or havent tried.

[ntornado]

Dude - you are 6'3" and 205 pounds! You're about to blow away.

I think if you eat more your chest will pack some mass.

I also think - that once you get the "jones" to grow a muscle - you tend to let that muscle be the focus of your training and you end up overtraining it. I have found - not to do this. Just back off and let nature happen - sometimes I grow better with less training. I'm not smart enough to figure that out - but smart enough to recognize it when it's happening!

This is good advice. Try backing off and giving your chest more time to recover. Soreness is not always a good thing.

[HondaV65]

Well ... I'll just say - on my shoulders ... genetically I "have it" - and as a young kid in the Navy stationed in Hawaii I was surfing every day - and they became well developed. Later - when I started going to the gym and lifting - they BLEW UP from the weights.

Now ... when I first started going to my current gym - High School kids would come up to me and remark about my shoulders. Okay ... so I figured - "this is my trademark".

WTF? I figured - let's see how far I can take these guys. So I concentrated on shoulders and just blew them away every shoulder workout - and I made a special day for shoulders - when before all I did was like 4 sets of fly's for them on chest day.

My FREAKIN SHOULDERS GOT SMALLER!!

You may think you've tried everything - but have you tried less? Most guys don't.

I'll tell you another thing - I don't think muscular growth is instantaneous. I think you can blast a muscle to death for a few months - then give up on it growing - and just return to normal routine - and then suddenly ...

GROWTH!

And it may not be due to just backing off in training - it may be due to the fact that you killed those muscles for several months - and then eased up - and they took that as a sign to grow.

Muscles freak me out - worse than women.